// 052 // Lansten
So many years ago, we were at a crossroads. Jason, my roommate, abandoned us. Justin told me about this great kid he had flying in to give it a shot. I'll admit, I was bias from the start. He was young. Justin was young, but we all knew he was wise well beyond his years. I didn't know about this new kid. He was from Mississippi of all places. I hardly expected him to be alright with my penchant for falling for cute boys.
He came in, and I'll admit. I was an asshole from the get go. He was scared and I picked on him. Maybe somewhere, I thought it would help him get ready for the critics. Most likely, I didn't wanna lose the attention of the other guys, namely Justin. I'd never met someone like Justin, someone so talented and with so much promise, who thought I of all people was so cool.
It didn't take long for him to win me over. I didn't stop with the picking on him, but I do that with everyone. And it didn't take long at all for me to start seeing what an incredible guy he was. He was young, away from home, and scared. Lou was skeptical. But fuck, his voice. And he was so strong, in spite of everything, he stood tall and took it head on. It was only then that I knew this little band was going places.
In Germany, it really hit home. With our schedule, shitty hotels, no time to breathe, so far away from home, we got real close real fucking fast. Every day, I was just amazed with how strong, incredible, smart and funny he really was. As soon as I shut up enough to let him get a word in edgewise, he let out this dry wit with the most incredible timing ever. What's it they say in Shrek? He's like an onion. All these layers. And most of them make you cry. heh. kidding.
Moving along. The Lawsuit. There's no question in my mind, we would not have gotten out of that situation without him. I got angry, I was ready to go stab Lou in the head, punch anyone who came near me, yell, scream. All kinds of useless shit. He was the one who sat down and painstakingly went over every line of the contracts. He figured it out, he gathered us together and helped us get one united front together to fight the evil. I think it was really then that I stopped thinking about him as a kid. No kid could have ever done the things he did.
I'm never good at expressing myself. The only shit I learnt was to react to everything with anger. I used to wish all the time that I could be more like him. It was never right that I was the oldest, but he was the mature one. But I learnt a lot from him. If people who know me now think I have a bad temper, they should have seen me pre-Lance. I may have been an adult when we met, but I would not be the person I am today if it wasn't for him.
He's seen some tough times, and I hate that he ever had to deal with them. But I look at him now, and I couldn't be more proud. He's still the amazing man he's always been. He's an incredibly loving husband, and the best friend a guy could ask for. On top of that, if it wasn't for him, I'd never have met John, who's now one of my closest friends. He's seen me through problems with alcohol, with my running away from problems with Joey too many times to count, my battle with my weight and self-esteem. He's been one of the most important rocks in my life, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I physically hurt when I think about life without him.
Happy birthday Lance. You deserve so much, and I'm so fucking glad to see you happy the way I've always wanted you to be. I'm sorry I can't put down the way I really feel about you and how great you are in a better way, I'm just a rambling old fool who loves you to death. Happy birthday baby, I hope the next year is even better than this one has been.
He came in, and I'll admit. I was an asshole from the get go. He was scared and I picked on him. Maybe somewhere, I thought it would help him get ready for the critics. Most likely, I didn't wanna lose the attention of the other guys, namely Justin. I'd never met someone like Justin, someone so talented and with so much promise, who thought I of all people was so cool.
It didn't take long for him to win me over. I didn't stop with the picking on him, but I do that with everyone. And it didn't take long at all for me to start seeing what an incredible guy he was. He was young, away from home, and scared. Lou was skeptical. But fuck, his voice. And he was so strong, in spite of everything, he stood tall and took it head on. It was only then that I knew this little band was going places.
In Germany, it really hit home. With our schedule, shitty hotels, no time to breathe, so far away from home, we got real close real fucking fast. Every day, I was just amazed with how strong, incredible, smart and funny he really was. As soon as I shut up enough to let him get a word in edgewise, he let out this dry wit with the most incredible timing ever. What's it they say in Shrek? He's like an onion. All these layers. And most of them make you cry. heh. kidding.
Moving along. The Lawsuit. There's no question in my mind, we would not have gotten out of that situation without him. I got angry, I was ready to go stab Lou in the head, punch anyone who came near me, yell, scream. All kinds of useless shit. He was the one who sat down and painstakingly went over every line of the contracts. He figured it out, he gathered us together and helped us get one united front together to fight the evil. I think it was really then that I stopped thinking about him as a kid. No kid could have ever done the things he did.
I'm never good at expressing myself. The only shit I learnt was to react to everything with anger. I used to wish all the time that I could be more like him. It was never right that I was the oldest, but he was the mature one. But I learnt a lot from him. If people who know me now think I have a bad temper, they should have seen me pre-Lance. I may have been an adult when we met, but I would not be the person I am today if it wasn't for him.
He's seen some tough times, and I hate that he ever had to deal with them. But I look at him now, and I couldn't be more proud. He's still the amazing man he's always been. He's an incredibly loving husband, and the best friend a guy could ask for. On top of that, if it wasn't for him, I'd never have met John, who's now one of my closest friends. He's seen me through problems with alcohol, with my running away from problems with Joey too many times to count, my battle with my weight and self-esteem. He's been one of the most important rocks in my life, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I physically hurt when I think about life without him.
Happy birthday Lance. You deserve so much, and I'm so fucking glad to see you happy the way I've always wanted you to be. I'm sorry I can't put down the way I really feel about you and how great you are in a better way, I'm just a rambling old fool who loves you to death. Happy birthday baby, I hope the next year is even better than this one has been.